Scott McNealy On Privacy

howardjp writes: "Scott McNealy's editorial, The Case Against Absolute Privacy", appeared in this morning's edition of the Washington Post. He seems to think keeping records on the public is a good idea..." McNealy is famous for his "You have zero privacy anyway, get over it" quote.

Comments

Re:The constitution doesnt guarantee anonymous spe

[coats]

Wrong!

The current status is: McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 514 U.S. 334 (1995).

Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court.

...Accordingly, an author's decision to remain anonymous, like other decisions concerning omissions or additions to the content of a publication, is an aspect of the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment.

Re:Privacy is a dying concept.

[flimflam]

I probably shouldn't be responding to this obvious troll, but since it got modded up so high...

People in America, I have noticed, seem to think that privacy is some sort of fundamental right, when in fact it is socially constructed.

All rights are socially constructed. That doesn't mean that they aren't real -- they're real as long as we (as a society) continue to value them. The right to privacy is becoming controversial because it is highly valued by a lot of private citizens, but many corporations see it as an outdated concept that's a hindrance to higher profits.

The transparent society that is coming will mark the ascendance of our species. In the beginning we were innocent and naked and had no privacy, like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, naked but for a fig leave each. Later, with the rise of agriculture, information became power and the notion of privacy as an absolute right was eventually invented (about as absurd as stating that gun ownership is a 'right').

This doesn't really make enough sense to respond to.

Privacy is not a right, it is a manufactured abomination, a cover for the dishonest and unnatural.

This pretty much ruins your troll, unfortunately -- you should have toned down the retoric a bit and someone would have fallen for it.

No problem

[Unknown Poltroon]

So when can I stop by to take pictures of you and your girlfriend having sex and mail them to your mom? And paste them up around your office. And can you point out to me where you make your mail publicly available to your neighbors? Id like to read your tax returns. By the way, if you could e-mail me a copy of all your medical records, just cause I'm nosy and want to see what kind of birth control you use. Oh, and I see you're wiccan. I'm sure your conservative catholic boss and the local born again Christian association would love to have your home address. Ill send them a copy of your medical records also, they're sure to want to know if you've had an abortion because of that case of herpes you caught. I'd call you a troll, but I think you're serious.

Scott: Money, mouth, put it.

[Platinum Dragon]

Dear Mr. McNealy:

It seems you think we should be willing to give up privacy for convenience.

To that end, please publish your home address, all phone numbers you can be reached at, your bank account balance, all credit cards you have and their limits, your Social Security number, all of the websites you've visited over the past 9 days, and everything you've purchased using anything but cash in the last 2 years. Please be sure to provide timely updates to the above information, as well as any additional information I request, so I can conveniently ask you important questions and inform you of exciting offers on a regular basis.

Please do this willingly, so I don't have to go running around, collecting the information covertly using cookies, purchased databases, "tracking" software, and other data-mining techniques. It's so much easier providing for your convenience when all the information I might need is at my fingertips, whether you really like it or not. After all, we have no privacy, and we should get over it, right? Or does that not apply to you?

bleh

[MillMan]

It seems obvious to me that he's ignoring the reason people worry about privacy in this country. I won't expand on it since other people have.

This guy is a typical example of how money is considered more important than people in this society. Since information is basically a form of currency, opinions like this are bound to be the most common. Or, at least, those that are most often heard.

In Europe, they have a more balanced view of privacy rights. Opt-in instead of opt-out, your data is your property, etc. They don't put as much of a priority on economic growth and money as we do, and that's not a coincidence.

You are Number Six

[bill.sheehan]

What Mr. McNeally seems to miss is that while I would like it if my computer kept track of my taste in movies, etc. and gave me recommendations based on that, I really don't want that information to be on your computer, to be used for purposes neither known nor sanctioned by me.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant before you may look quiet and unassuming, but that is merely a cunning disguise. He is, in fact, a homicidal sociopath. We've seen computer records that prove he regularly buys murder mysteries and watches slasher movies..."

Human being. Do not bend, spindle, or mutilate.

Re:Some Good Points

[AMuse]

The problem with that is that there are perfectly reasonable, non paranoid scenarios in which you do NOT want your information aggregated. Using the doubleclick example:

Customer X-35213-54388 purchased speaker racks and green paint for a 1989 Mazda Miata, using static IP addres 123.456.789.101 - they used to live in Minnesota but made this purchase and all recent ones from CA.

John Q. Doe has registered, on the next day, a Green 1989 Mazda Miata in CA after having moved from Minnesota.

Static DSL IP 123.456.789.101 purchased some online porn.

Add in DoubleClick's info-aggregating and every other site you visit relates everything you've done online to:

John Q. Doe
123 Fnord Ave
San Mateo, CA, 12345
SSN: 123-33-4567

No, thanks. I'm trying to keep most of that info, especially SSN, to myself and not the skript kidz that hack the companys' website.
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